


To Build A Better Life

by singsfromthesoul



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin is just living life end trying to get by, Ben is an exasperated teacher, F/M, Found Families, Hurt/Comfort, More comfort than hurt, Padme is amazing as usual, Plo Koon is a social worker, Satine Kryze Lives, amateur ghost hunting, and is a flower seller at the farmer's market because she deserves happiness, author plays fast and loose with the process of adoption for narrative purposes, author waxes poetic about tea for like 500 words due to her love for it, hella fluff bc we deserve it, i said what i said, the adoption au that's been haunting my brain for months, the author holds a lot of respect for it regardless
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25471822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/singsfromthesoul/pseuds/singsfromthesoul
Summary: Ahsoka is terrible at gardening. She only ever pretended to be interested in order to keep Ben talking to the pretty blonde florist at the farmer’s market. It’s only a shame she actually has to come through now, lest she look like the liar she apparently is.Anakin didn’t steal Ben’s roomba. He only appropriated it for the purpose of improving it as much as possible. It’s all he can do to entertain himself until his beautiful girlfriend graduates from college. That and take his new sister under his wing.Ben has surely lost his mind. Adopting and raising a child all on his own had been a great challenge he was sure to done with until the day he decided to adopt a teenage girl. It’s only natural his children would eventually team up to meddle in his personal life.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 26
Kudos: 104





	1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> There is a serious lack of modern au fics in this fandom and I've liked all the ones I've read so I'm setting out to remedy that. The document that holds this in my computer is titled 'the au where nothing goes wrong', in case you're wondering what to expect. Character descriptions were inspired by some art by @daryshkart I saw on tumblr a while ago that you should check out because it's SO good.  
> Enjoy!

Ahsoka Tano bounced a rubber ball against the wall in front of her. The afternoon light filtered in through the windows high above her head, making the whitewashed walls almost impossible to look at. She rested her back on a wall, legs stretched across the width of the hallway. She tossed the ball again, watching as it bounced on the floor first, then on the wall and back into her hand. If she wasn’t called in soon, surely the rubber ball would eventually leave a faint green mark on the wall. Maybe somebody would be around to clean it, or maybe the wall would forever bear the mark of Ahsoka’s boredom.

It wasn’t often that she came to this area of the home. All the administrative offices in the Takodana Home for Found Children were housed in this area, where counseling sessions and interviews were held. Counseling meant you probably got in a fight with somebody and interviews were usually reserved for when there was someone interested in adopting you. Ahsoka was quiet enough to not get into trouble for the most part and she’d never met a potential parent, foster or otherwise. For years she’d tossed her least desirable qualities around in the back of her mind, wondering which one of them was the dealbreaker. 

Was it her scrawniness? (Unlikely, she’d grow out of it). 

Perhaps her age then? (Everyone knew that the chances of being placed with a family dropped the older one got and at fifteen, Ahsoka’s chances were slim to none). 

That left only the vitiligo. It was an unfortunate fact that she was learning to live with: Ahsoka’s otherwise warm brown skin was interrupted at random points by pale spots. She’d come to expect that upon meeting someone for the first time, their eyes would quickly roam across any bits of exposed skin before meeting her eyes. It was unsettling to some (who seemed to believe it was some transferable disease) and Ahsoka firmly believed it was the main reason why she would never leave Takodana. It was fine though, she’d age out of the system in only three years. Practically nothing against the time she’d already spent in the home.

There was movement inside of the counselor’s office. A minute later, one of the younger rowdy boys stepped out. 

The boy jerked his head toward the door. “He said to call you in”. 

Ahsoka started to thank him, but the boy was already turning a corner and away from where she stood. She tucked the rubber ball inside her jacket pocket and pushed the door open.

It wasn’t often she was called to this office but Ahsoka never minded when she was. Takodana’s counselor, a gravelly-voiced man named Plo Koon, kept a tidy office and would always sneak her a cup of coffee, against the advice of Takodana’s attendants. In the last few years, as Ahsoka became one of the older children in the home, she felt that he was more transparent with her, something that many adults in her life seemed to avoid. In turn, she made it a point to answer whatever questions he decided to ask as honestly as possible. He sat as his desk now, seemingly preoccupied with a file on his desk, but looked up at the sound of the door closing behind her.

“Good afternoon Ahsoka.” He closed the file on his desk and tucked it away into a drawer. “How are you feeling today?”

Ahsoka took the rubber ball out of her pocket and began rolling it around in her hands. It’d been a gift from the counselor years ago, having noticed her fidgety hands during a session. “Fine, I guess.” A beat. The ball passed from hand to hand. “Not to be rude, sir, but why am I here? It’s not our regular day.”

The man raised an eyebrow, unable to mask a degree of amusement in his eyes. “Nothing gets past you, does it, Tano?”

Ahsoka smirked. “I try not to let it.”

“Of course. In any case, you’re right about this not being a regular meeting. It seems someone is interested in adopting you. I’ve met with the candidate and gone over your file but of course you needed to be notified in case you have no desire to carry on with the process.”

Ahsoka felt her fist squeeze the rubber ball she held so hard her knuckles ached. Was this some kind of joke? Why now? 

She tried to focus on Plo Koon, who was still talking. She held up a hand to stop him, freezing the man mid-sentence. “You showed them my file?”

“Yes, it’s standard procedure for children who match the description of what the adoptee is looking for.”

“So they saw my file?”

“As I said.”

“Which has pictures of me…”

“Yes.”

“And they were still interested?”

“Very much so.”

Ahsoka frowned. Surely it couldn’t be that easy. Was it a purposeful overlook or did they really not care? Even without her condition, who would go out of their way to adopt a teenage girl so close to aging out of the system?

“Would you like to see their file before you give me an answer?”

She nodded and took the folder offered to her. Inside was a picture of a bearded man, seemingly in his late thirties or early forties with hair of a brown so light it was almost coppery. 

“His name is Ben Kenobi. He’s an English teacher at the local high school and a fencing instructor at a nearby gym. Unmarried but he has another son, who’s now twenty. The son was adopted at nine years old. This is important, Ahsoka, because although there is a trial period should you decide to try it, the fact that the son is adopted means that Kenobi has a good view of adoption as a whole and that the state has already determined at least once that he is a fit parent. Do you understand?”

She did. This guy had managed to be cleared for adopting as a single parent while still in his twenties (if she had done the math correctly). The fact that the son hadn’t bolted as soon as he turned legal seemed to also be a good indication. He’d seen her picture and read her file and was still interested. He was a teacher.

“Arrange the meeting.”

Though Ahsoka had been confident in her decision of letting the meeting happen, she had come to find out it took all of one day to fall down a spiral of self doubt. After that followed two days of pure dread. Something would happen. Ben Kenobi wouldn’t show or would take one look at her and decide some things just couldn’t be overlooked. Maybe Ahsoka wouldn’t be able to hold back her tongue and make some inappropriate comment he’d resent.

Still, there was a part of her that wanted to be happy and overwhelmingly excited about the possibility of finding a home. It was that part that kept her from marching into Plo Koon’s office and telling him to call the whole thing off.

The day before the meeting, Ahsoka decided to do one last reckless thing. She had always wanted to dye some part of her hair, preferably blue, but it wasn’t allowed at the home in the belief it could hinder the children’s chances of being placed with a family. She understood the reasoning behind the rule. However, it didn’t sway her desire to do it and Ahsoka figured that she had very little to lose at this point. Better to put all her cards on the table at once than risk having to hide things later.

Under the guise of needing new toiletries (a few urgent words to a male attendant about the need for pads followed by the man’s discovery that the supply room was out and no suspicion that Ahsoka herself had hidden them) she was allowed to make a trip to the nearest pharmacy to acquire some. She’d also grabbed a box of blue hair dye, which she had shoved inside her jacket as soon as she’d paid for the items. Luckily, nobody had noticed.

Ahsoka had waited patiently for everyone to fall asleep before slipping out of her bed and quietly making her way to the bathroom. She locked the door behind her, despite it being a communal bathroom, hoping nobody would need to use the bathroom until after she was done. Her hair was in the braids which she’d been wearing for weeks now. She wasn’t quite sure how to do the braids by herself yet, so she would have to bleach and dye them in place. A horrible idea, she knew, but it would have to do for now. Given the situation, it would be easiest to dye the ends of her hair rather than get streaks. 

She opened the box and got to work.

An hour later, it was done. Ahsoka raised her eyes from the blue-stained sink and up to the mirror. It wasn’t a neat job, the dye looking uneven in some parts, but it was good enough. She looked insane, yet as she looked at herself in the water-streaked mirror, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. 

It was perfect.

The most notable reaction she received the following morning was from one of the matrons of the home, who’d widened her eyes in an almost comical way upon spotting Ahsoka walking into the dining hall for breakfast. A moment later, she closed her eyes and shook her head as if deciding not to start her morning arguing with a teenage girl. All the better for Ahsoka. Had she known it would be this easy, she would’ve tried it years ago. 

Breakfast left her feeling queasy. She was supposed to meet Ben Kenobi at Plo Koon’s office now and the reality of it hadn’t sunk in until the door to the dining hall closed behind her. She found herself with nothing but her thoughts and the green rubber ball in her hands for the walk to the counselor’s office. Ahsoka tried to not let her feet drag. She was anxious about arriving, yes, but even more so at the idea of being late. Had she made a terrible mistake with her hair? Would it cost her everything?

No. She knew why she had done it and she liked that she had done it. She wouldn’t let her nerves take that away from her.

Before she knew it, she had arrived at the door. Ahsoka put the ball back into her pocket and knocked on the door. A moment later, she heard Plo Koon’s voice beckoning her inside.

Ben Kenobi sat in the chair that Ahsoka usually occupied, sipping what she could only imagine was coffee from one of the mugs kept by the counselor in his office. Unsurprisingly, he looked exactly as in the picture she’d seen, with light auburn hair and a matching full beard. Though his clothes were within the realm of what she would imagine an English teacher would wear, something about the way he held himself seemed to exude elegance, elevating him to department store model status.

“Ah, Ahsoka. Just in time”, said Plo Koon. “Meet Ben Kenobi.”

Kenobi nodded at her in acknowledgment. “Blue looks lovely on you, Ahsoka. Did you do it yourself?”

“It’s not like I’m exactly allowed out to the local salon.” The words were out before she could stop them. Ahsoka bit the inside of her cheek, knowing that a snippy remark was probably not a good introduction to her person. An honest one, perhaps, but certainly not a polite one.

To her surprise, however, Ben Kenobi smirked. “Fair enough.” He stood and held out a hand for Ahsoka to shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Ahsoka shook his hand and moved to take a seat in the chair beside him, shifting it so they were facing one another.

Plo Koon stood. “I’ll let you two become acquainted.” For a moment she feared he would leave them entirely alone, but the counselor only moved to the far corner of the room and started rifling through some files.

“Tell me something about yourself, Ahsoka”, Kenobi’s voice was surprisingly gentle. “Anything at all.”

Her mouth felt dry, suddenly. She didn’t have enough practice talking to people, let alone random adults. But he wasn’t just a random adult, was he? 

“I…I’ve been here since I was three. Don’t really remember anything about my parents but I think they died. That’s what the file says, anyway. I’m pretty good at school, I guess.” 

What else could she say?

Ben nodded. “Do you have a favorite subject?”

She frowned. “Not sure. Math, maybe?”

“Unpopular choice. I like it. Why math though?”

Ahsoka shrugged. “Things are pretty straightforward in math. Problems usually have a solution, it’s just about figuring out the steps. I like history too, but things are much more…”

“Abstract?”

“Yes. People are much more complicated than numbers, I think.”

Kenobi crossed his arms, keeping one hand level with his chin and absentmindedly stroking his beard. It was almost comical to Ahsoka. Obviously, he did enough that it had become reflexive and she was sure he hadn’t realized he was doing it. 

“What about English?” He had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he asked the question and Ahsoka decided right then and there that she liked the man.

“No patience for learning grammatical rules but I like reading.”

He chuckled good-naturedly. “That’s already an improvement over most of my students.”

She gave a half smile in return. “Can I ask you a question?”

“As many as you like.”

“Why fencing?”

“What?”

“Your file. It said you were a fencing instructor. It just seems like such a random thing, especially for a high school English teacher.”

He leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands together, as if recalling a fond memory. “I’ve been doing it since I was a child. Had a very good teacher who taught me a great deal many things. I find that passing on knowledge you’ve gained is the best way of making use of it.” 

Kenobi fixed his eyes on Ahsoka. “I could teach you if you wanted. It’s not at all a condition of you living with us but I daresay you’d find it fun. Anakin is surprisingly adept at it, given his lack of patience for most things.”

Her throat felt a bit dry, remembering that it wouldn’t just be her and Ben Kenobi. There was another person to factor in. “Anakin is your son, right?” A nod from Ben. “What’s he like?”

The older man sighed. “He’s either the most brilliant idiot who ever lived or the most idiotic genius. Ten years on and I still can’t tell. But I do love him very dearly, and I wouldn’t trade our time together for anything.”

She could tell he was being sincere about his fondness for his adoptive son. So far so good. She put her hands inside her jacket, taking comfort in the weight of the rubber ball in her right pocket. “I…I have another question. If you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all. Go right ahead.”

Ahsoka squeezed the rubber ball in her pocket, feeling the pressure on her knuckles as she did. “Why do you want to adopt me? Teenagers are trouble, everyone knows it. Little kids are much more…adaptable. And they’re desperate for a family. Why a teenage girl who’s only gonna age out of the system in a few years?”

It was the million-dollar question. The one that had been simmering in the back of her mind for days now. There were more layers to her questioning, of course, but Ahsoka didn’t feel like getting into those right then.

Ben seemed to think about it for a moment before fixing his bright blue eyes on her. “Listen. You’re not a small child, Ahsoka. I understand if you don’t feel that you need a father at this point. I won’t try and be that if you don’t want me to. But I do think you need a home, everybody does. And I can give that to you, if you so wish. You’re right about being close to aging out of the system. If you wake up on the day of your eighteenth birthday and you want to leave, that’s perfectly fine. But know that you would always have a place to come back to.”

“Oh.” Her voice was small.

He raised an eyebrow. “Is that a sufficient answer?”

Ahsoka smirked. “For now.”

Ben smiled.

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of nervous excitement as all the practical pieces were put into place. Paperwork was handed in and processed through all the proper channels. Ahsoka packed her sparse collection of belongings into a single suitcase and said whatever goodbyes she felt proper or necessary. Ben visited a few times and they walked the grounds of Takodana, smoothing out a great number of practical details. Yes, he’d been made privy to her medical history, but did she have any particular allergies, especially food related ones? (She didn’t.)

Ahsoka would be starting tenth grade in the fall, which put her within the range that Ben taught. Would she rather they find another school for her or would she be fine attending where he worked? (She’d like to have at least one familiar face at school but would rather be put in a group he wouldn’t teach). Ben agreed and promised to talk to the principal to come up with an arrangement.

What were her favorite colors, and would she mind having an attic room? Ahsoka listed blue, green, white and orange as she bounced her green rubber ball off the pavement. Ben nodded curtly and stared off into the distance, as if already trying to piece together a design. Apparently, Anakin (who she was still to meet) would be working on her room in preparation for her arrival. Ahsoka didn’t want to be picky and thus refused to give any more specifications for the space beyond colors, but she couldn’t help but be thrilled at the prospect of having a place made specifically for her.

On her last night at Takodana, Ahsoka barely got any sleep. A never-ending stream of possible scenarios for the next day ran through her mind as she tossed and turned on her creaky bed. She didn’t remember a life outside of Takodana, how would she appear to the people she met in this new life? She’d never had a sibling or anything like it and she’d never been to regular school. How would she fit among people her own age? Would the people in Ben Kenobi’s life even like her? 

She slept fitfully and woke several times during the night to hear the soft breathing of the other children in the room, knowing it would be her last night doing so.

The following morning, Ahsoka woke with her stomach already in knots. She felt especially fidgety due to having done all preparations with plenty of time and thus having nothing to do now but wait. In an attempt to look more presentable, she’d gathered her braids into a half up, half down style. With one last look in the mirror, she gripped her suitcase tightly and set off for the lobby. Plo Koon would be waiting to formally see her off. 

That morning, Ahsoka didn’t limit the bouncing of her rubber ball to the floor ahead of her, choosing instead to bounce it off the ceiling, walls and random pieces of furniture she walked past. Most people were in the residential area of the home at this hour, getting ready to start their day. On the off chance that someone was there and annoyed at her well, she was leaving Takodana anyway, so it didn’t matter. With one hand she rolled the suitcase down the halls and, with the other, caught the ball expertly every time.

When she arrived at the lobby, Plo Koon was already there. The counselor sat on one of the benches that lined the hall and drank from a steaming mug of coffee. On the final bounce of Ahsoka’s rubber ball, he looked up.

“Ah, little ‘Soka. How are you feeling today?”

She felt the corners of her mouth turn up slightly at the old nickname. Perhaps he was feeling nostalgic today. It was always the same question, but it seemed to hit home every single time he asked her.

“I slept terribly. Too nervous.”

He nodded slowly. “It’s perfectly understandable. You’re making a big change in your life that just weeks ago you didn’t imagine you’d be making. Change is never easy.”

She sat opposite him, setting the suitcase beside her legs. “I know. It’s just…strange.”

“If it’s any consolation, I think Ben Kenobi is a good man. You may not think it, but he’s nervous too. He confided as much when I visited him a few weeks ago.”

“You went to his house?”

Plo Koon nodded. “It’s standard procedure. I think he worries about doing right by you almost as much as you worry about fitting into your new life. But I do believe you’ll be happy there, Ahsoka.”

She met his dark eyes. “Really?”

“Truly.” With this, he leaned back once more and continued drinking from his coffee.

She was quiet for a few moments, but something still tugged at her. “Will…will you ever visit?”

“Yes, actually. I’m required to do follow-up visits once a month or so. At least for the first year.”

The first year. Saying ‘the first’ implied many others to come. She would eventually become used to not living at Takodana. Years would pass and she would be able to build a life elsewhere. It was too big of an idea to comprehend yet. Ahsoka had no reference for such things.

Outside, she heard a car driving up and then stopping. The sound of the car door opening and closing made her hear leap in her chest. The footsteps on the old stone steps that led to the entrance were light and quick and a moment later, Ben was at the door. At last it was time. 

“Good morning to you both”, he said, nodding to each one in turn. After that, he seemed to be at a momentary loss for words and looked over at Plo Koon, unsure as to how to proceed.

The counselor placed his now empty mug on the bench and stood. “Well Ahsoka, are you ready to go?”

She nodded, then gestured towards her lone suitcase. “This is all I have.”

Ben stepped forward. “Do you want help with it? Those steps out there are a bit steep.”

Her reflex was to say that no, she didn’t need help. A suitcase wasn’t that hard to carry and Ahsoka could manage some slippery steps, but then she remembered Plo Koon’s observation about Ben’s own nerves. He was trying to be helpful, to do something kind. She wasn’t used to receiving help in that way, to not be expected to be self-sufficient in every aspect of her life. 

“Sure.” 

Ben gave her a small nod and grabbed Ahsoka’s suitacase, lifting it effortlessly. She turned back to Plo Koon.

She shifted from foot to foot, not quite meeting his eyes. “Thanks.”

“Whatever for?”

“I know you’ve been looking out for me these past few years.” She finally looked up at him. “Thanks for being one of the better things in this place.”

There was kindness in his dark eyes. “Good luck, little ‘Soka. We’ll meet again soon.”

Ahsoka turned and walked out of the Takodana Home for Found Children for the last time in her life.

Soft classical music played on the car radio. Maybe it was the gentle rocking of the car or perhaps her lack of sleep the previous night, but Ahsoka found that her eyelids began to feel heavier as they drove away from the town center and towards a residential area. She leaned her head on the window and tried to take in the peace that had settled over her.

“Get enough sleep last night?”

Ahsoka cracked open an eye and looked at Ben, who looked amused despite not taking his eyes off the road for a single moment. “Not really,” she admitted. “Too nervous.”

“Perfectly understandable. I don’t think Anakin got much sleep last night either. I could hear him tinkering up in your room when I went downstairs to get some water. It must have been around three in the morning. Once we get home and we show you around, you can take a nap if you want.”

Home. Her home. An impossibility become truth.

“We’re here,” said Ben a few minutes later.

Ahsoka opened her eyes and looked outside. They had stopped in front of a three-story house with many windows and a small front porch. The first two stories appeared to be about the same width, comprising the house’s majority. Above it, was the third floor, which appeared to be the size of a single room. An attic, perhaps. The grass in front of the house was cut short, but appeared to be of the natural variety rather than the lawn patches seen in the nearby houses. 

Ben got out of the car and went around the back to get her suitcase out of the trunk. While she had achieved a sense of peace on the ride over, the nerves she’d felt since waking up had now returned in full force. What if she did this wrong and they wanted to send her back? Or worse, they couldn’t return her and instead she was forced to watch as their resentment of her grew? She’d heard the stories from some of the other children of such things happening.

“Ahsoka.” Ben’s voice was muffled. He’d tapped on her window, but she’d been lost in thought. She opened the door. He bent down to meet her eyes. “Are you alright? Do you need a moment before we go inside?”

Ahsoka shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s just a lot to think about.” She gave him a half smile. “Let’s go inside.”

A stone path led them to the front porch and a big door made of dark wood. They stepped inside.

“We’re back!” Ben called as he shut the door behind them. 

Upstairs, a door opened and closed. A moment later, a young man appeared at the top of the stairs. He smiled. 

“Nice to see you up so early.” Despite the words, there was no malice in Ben’s tone. “Especially given how late you were up last night.”

“Yeah, yeah. Save it for five years ago.” The young man (Anakin, she presumed) made his way downstairs. As he came to stand before them, Ahsoka realized just how tall he was. Nearly a foot taller than herself and even a few inches more than Ben. His hair was also of a light brown but where Ben’s leaned towards a coppery tone, Anakin’s was sandier. 

She was shown around the house. The first floor was an open plan space that held the living room just to the right of the front door and the kitchen a bit further down. Another door led into the backyard, which was little more than a patio set, a barbecue and a shed.

As they climbed the stairs, Ben explained that the garage had been converted into a sort of workshop for Anakin, who often found himself repairing or creating some sort of machine. Ahsoka made a mental note to ask him about it later. 

The second floor held Ben and Anakin’s rooms, as well as a room that served as Ben’s home office. One bathroom near the rooms and another at the end of the hall, beside a narrower set of stairs.

Ben turned to her. “We decided it would be best to convert the attic into your room. It’s fairly spacious.”

“And more private”, Anakin added. “You’ll have this bathroom all to yourself.”

“Can I see it?” she asked. “The room, I mean.”

Anakin smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.” He turned and started up the narrow set of stairs. 

Briefly, she wondered how old the house must be to have such an odd addition. As soon as she entered the room, however, all thoughts flew away from her head.

The room was beautiful. 

She recalled the afternoon on which she had stated color preferences to Ben. She had pictured solid colored walls and maybe a matching bedspread. What stood in front of her, however, seemed like something out of a magazine.

The wall at the far end of the room was covered in green wallpaper that had a retro print in a contrasting shade and, at its center, a tall window that Ahsoka realized she had seen from the street. The wall to the left was a deep shade orange and the one to the left was white with wavy blue designs. There was a desk beside the bed and a potted plant at the foot of it. Another plant was suspended from the ceiling halfway between the desk and the door. 

“Ben said you didn’t mention anything besides colors so I had to improvise a bit but if you don’t like it, we can work on it. I think the space has a lot of potential.” Anakin was practically rambling now. He crossed his arms and leaned toward Ahsoka with a serious expression. “How do you feel about the plants? Be brutally honest because those were my girlfriend’s idea and I promised to get back to her on that.”

Ahsoka found herself moving towards the center of the room. She looked up at the pointed wooden ceiling and slowly spun around as she tried to take in the fact that this was her room. 

Ben set the suitcase he’d apparently been carrying this entire time just inside the door. “I have to get started on lunch, but I’ll leave you two to be acquainted.” He tipped his head toward Ahsoka. “I’ll see you soon, alright?”

She nodded, then turned and walked up to the window. She could see all the way to the end of the street from here. Most of the surrounding houses were only two stories and she delighted in the feeling of being so high up.

“I like the plants”, she said. 

“You do?”

Ahsoka turned back towards Anakin and saw that he was leaning against the doorway, which loomed dangerously close to the top of his head. She wondered if he’d ever collided against a doorframe.

“I do. It feels homey.”

“See, that’s what Padme said but I didn’t know if it was just her biased opinion.” He cocked his head to the side and smiled. “I’ll give her that one, she was right.”

Ahsoka sat on the bed, feeling it sink a bit under her weight. Not at all like the creaky beds at Takodana. She remembered how tired she had been feeling all morning.

“Do you want to see the coolest part?”

“There’s more?”

The look on his face was mischievous. “Just a final trick up my sleeve. Consider it a ‘welcome home’ gift.” Anakin quickly knocked on a spot of the white and blue wall. The sound was hollow. He pushed on the spot and a panel popped open to reveal…

“Is that a mini-fridge?” She was on her feet at once, needing to investigate the unexpected addition to her room at once.

“Yes, so you can keep your snacks away from Ben. He’s an absolute menace and will eat anything in the fridge not explicitly labeled. Also figured it could save you time, since you’re all the way up here.” He moved towards the door.

“Don’t tell Ben though. I’ll let him down easy one of these days”, he added with a conspiratorial wink before shutting the door.

For the first time that day, Ahsoka was completely alone.

She laid back onto her new bed and stared at the ceiling. Below her, she could hear the faint sounds of Anakin’s heavy footsteps going down the stairs and Ben moving around in the kitchen. 

Before long, she drifted off.

At nine in the morning of the following Saturday, Ahsoka was sitting on the stands at the gym where Ben taught fencing. Luckily for her new guardian, she was an early riser. The day at Takodana usually started early and after so many years there, she’d grown used to it. Having noticed this, Ben had proposed to have Ahsoka tag along to his morning class and see the fencing for herself. She had promised to let him know afterwards if she was interested in lessons or not. 

Anakin was not an early riser, so he would meet up with them after class and, together with Anakin’s girlfriend Padme, they would go shopping. Summer was nearing its end and Ahsoka would need clothes for the new semester. Although the idea of meeting another new person was slightly daunting, she was comforted by the fact that she had heard nothing but good things about Padme and Anakin had assured her that they would get along well.

Though it was the weekend, there was a fair amount of people at the large gym. Groups of parents chatted in groups while they watched their children from the stands. Others sat alone and drank coffee from an old machine that sat near the entrance or typed away on their computers to pass the time. On the far end of the gym, a group of small children did gymnastics. A little girl in a sparkly leotard and a tight bun ran past Ahsoka and yelled something at another little girl.

From her seat on the stands, she looked at the class Ben was currently teaching. Most of the students were small, ten years or less, but a few appeared to be closer to Ahsoka’s age. Ben walked among the students, who were practicing drills, and corrected their posture or showed them how to do a certain move again. It was the most serious she had seen him be so far. Though he wasn’t the most lighthearted of people in general, he always appeared to be a degree more relaxed when at home. Now, he walked with perfect posture and gave commands in a clear voice. She was fascinated with the change.

Ahsoka had turned away in order to watch some of the children doing gymnastics and was debating whether or not to spend seventy-five cents on bad coffee or not when she heard a voice beside her.

“Hey there.” 

It was a boy about her age, one of Ben’s students. Brown hair and a face that had yet to completely shed all signs of childhood from it. 

“Hey,” she replied, not knowing what else to say. When was the last time she’d held a conversation with someone her own age?

He smiled at Ahsoka. “I’m Lux. I’ve never seen you around here, are you a new student or are you waiting for someone?”

She didn’t know what to say. How to even begin explaining her complicated situation to a complete stranger? Luckily, she was saved from having to answer at all.

“Bonteri! Stop bothering Ahsoka and get over here!”

Lux sighed before picking up his helmet and walking back towards his class. Ben watched him go, an odd look on his face. Ahsoka tried not to laugh and made a mental note to ask him about it later.

After class was dismissed, she waited for Ben to gather his things before the two made their way out of the gym, passing one or two students and a few parents. He nodded at the parents and they continued out into the parking lot. Upon reaching the car, Ben unlocked the trunk and slung his gear bag off his shoulder.

Ahsoka leaned on the car. “So, who’s that Lux kid?”

Ben eyed her wearily. “Why?”

“Just curious. He seemed very…” She tried to find a word that would describe the odd encounter. “Eager.”

“That’s one way to describe him”, muttered Ben as he tossed the bag into the trunk.

“That bad?”

“If Lux Bonteri put as much effort into fencing as he does chasing girls, his technique wouldn’t be half as sloppy as it is.” He gave Ahsoka a wry smile. “But it is. Truly proof that parents can invest as much as they want in their child’s education, but it won’t matter if the boy doesn’t care.”

She took her seat in the car as Ben started the engine.

“Now to see if Anakin managed to wake up on time.”

Half an hour later they confirmed that, indeed, Anakin had managed to wake up on time. He sat on a bench by the movie theater, accompanied by a brunette girl who was drinking a smoothie. As she and Ben approached, she saw him lean over to the girl and whisper something that made her laugh, a feat made all the more difficult by her mouth being full of smoothie. She smacked his arm in response as he laughed. 

Already, Ahsoka had heard much about Anakin’s girlfriend. They had been together for a few years now, after they had both graduated high school. She was few years older than Anakin and a student of political science at some fancy university upstate. She’d had a perfect GPA in high school and had gotten a full-ride scholarship for her undergrad. Of all the things she had imagined Padme to be, a girl in white shorts and lavander top who struggled not to spit her smoothie out was not one of them. Immediately, she could see why Padme and Anakin would like one another despite their apparent differences.

“Hello Padme”, Ben greeted pleasantly. “I truly commend you on getting Anakin out of the house before midday. May I present Ahsoka Tano?”

Before she knew it, the older girl was enveloping her in a hug. A moment later, she released her. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Ahsoka.” Padme’s smile was radiant, and it somehow made her feel more at ease. “Ani’s told me so much about you and I want to do right by him, so I’ll do my best to help you find some new clothes, okay?”

Ahsoka nodded.

“Alright, let’s start. Do you have an idea of which stores you want to look in?”

A beat. Did she? “Not really.”

“It’s okay.” Padme smiled reassuringly. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Half an hour later, Ahsoka stood in front of a changing room mirror and eyed her reflection wearily. “I don’t know about this,” she called out to Padme who sat outside waiting for the outfit’s reveal. “I just…I just don’t know.”

But she did know. A short denim skirt with buttons down the middle, like she’d seen girls her age wear sometimes. Tucked into the skirt, a burgundy tee. She glanced at the floor, where the jeans and jacket she’d been wearing lay discarded. Perhaps it really had been a mistake to dye her hair that night. In the harsh fluorescent lights that surrounded the mirror she felt that it clashed horribly with everything. An uncomfortable, prickly sensation started in her eyes.

“Can I come in?” Padme’s voice was soft outside of the door. 

Ahsoka blinked rapidly so that the other girl wouldn’t see any rising tears. “Yes?”

“Yes or no?”

She sighed. “Yes.”

Padme slipped into the changing room and quickly shut the door behind her. Ahsoka looked at her through the mirror’s reflection. “What’s wrong?” 

“It’s just… too much.”

“Too much what? Color? Too short?”

Ahsoka hesitated. It would be so easy to make this about the length of the skirt or anything other than what was actually bothering her. Padme had been nothing but kind to her, though. Earnest and attentive. Like she truly wanted to help. 

Would she understand?

“It just shows too much of…” she gestured vaguely at the spots on her face, arms and legs. 

The older girl hummed, seeming to understand. “The problem is not that you have spots on your skin, Ahsoka. The problem is that you don’t believe you look good. A professional stylist could dress you in the world’s most beautiful dress and you would still focus on the wrong thing. This is a part of you. It’s part of the painting, not a veil hiding it from view. Confidence is key to any great outfit. The sooner you believe you look amazing the sooner people will follow suit. You don’t need everyone’s approval, just your own.” 

Padme clasped her hands to her chest, a smile stealing onto her face. “But for what it’s worth, I think you look so cool.” She turned to the clothes still left to try on and picked an olive-green bomber jacket. 

“Here, try this too”, she said as she slipped the jacket into Ahsoka’s arms. She turned back towards the mirror and stared at her reflection once more. Though she still felt daring in the skirt, it seemed more manageable with the extra layer on top. 

Maybe. Maybe Padme was right. She was building a new life, after all. Why not try something different?

Later, as the two walked to the register holding a bag of clothes between them, Ahsoka felt a small twinge in her heart. She’d never had an older sister, but she couldn’t help think it had to be at least a little bit like this.

On the night before she was supposed to start school, Ahsoka was restless once again. 

It had been over a month since she’d come to live with Ben and Anakin and in that time, she’d started to gain a sense of normalcy. A routine. Meals cooked with the wish that they’d be enjoyed by her. A slowly forming set of household chores. Watching movies after dinner, often enveloped in fluffy blankets. Hearing the keys on Ben’s computer clack as he typed up lesson plans and watching Anakin frown at a circuit board as he sat in his garage turned workshop.

She hadn’t realized how much she had slipped into a sense of security, no longer being always hyper-aware of her surroundings, until the day where she’d drifted off in the middle of watching some movie. Ahsoka had woken up to Ben gently shaking her knee and calling her name softly, not really sure at which point she’d drifted off, and knew that something had changed in her. 

While most children at Takodana weren’t actively mean, it was always good to be on the lookout. For your belongings, for a leg stuck out with the intent of tripping you, for a stray marker that could make its way onto your face if you fell asleep in the presence of the others.

She could feel herself starting to settle into her new home, which is why it was such a pain that everything was about to be upset again. 

School. More new places and people. Names to remember and rules to follow. She had notebooks and a bag, a thermos and pens, but still no idea on what to tell people when they asked all the inevitable questions. (Where did she come from? What was her relation to Ben?)

She had no idea what she would say to them.

Ahsoka bounced her rubber ball off the wall in front of her and caught it easily, hoping the sound didn’t resonate through the entire house. Ben had gone to sleep hours ago but she wasn’t sure about Anakin. 

Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to sleep anytime soon, Ahsoka decided to head downstairs for a snack. Maybe she could try one of those calming teas Ben kept somewhere in the pantry. He’d been trying to convince her to try them, given that Anakin was more of a coffee person Tonight she was more than willing to give them a shot.

Slowly, as to avoid making too much noise, she made her way downstairs. Upon reaching the ground floor, she was greeted by the smell of something cooking in the toaster oven. Anakin was leaning against the kitchen sink and staring ahead blankly, headphones in his ears. She briefly considered whether to go back upstairs, but then his eyes fixed on her and he grinned.

“So you do take after me. I knew there had to be something.” He took the headphones out, setting them aside with his phone and gestured vaguely at the oven. “Nuggets?”

“I wanted tea, actually. Don’t know where Ben keeps it though.”

“I know where it is. Take a seat and I’ll get it for you.”

Anakin rifled through cabinets that were much too high for her to reach. Both he and Ben were significantly taller than Ahsoka. One of these days she would need to talk to Ben about rearranging some of the essentials, or maybe getting a stepladder.

“Can’t sleep?”

“Nope. It’s starting to get annoying.”

He pulled a mug from the cabinet. “Nervous about tomorrow?”

“Very.”

“How come?” 

Ahsoka rested her chin on her hands. “It’s just…I don’t have much experience hanging out with people my age. That and I’ve never been to a normal school. It’s just…overwhelming, I guess. All this change.”

The oven dinged. Anakin pulled the tray out. “I get it. Believe me, I do.” He set the mug full of tea in front of Ahsoka, took a seat across from her and set the tray between them.

“How was it for you in school? After Ben took you in, I mean.”

“Horrible.”

The tea somehow became lodged in her throat. Ahsoka swallowed as best as she could but coughed, nonetheless. “What? How come?” 

Anakin’s brow furrowed as he looked at her, seemingly waiting for her to compose herself again. She waved him on.

“Ahsoka, you have to understand. When Ben adopted me, I was nine years old and I had just lost my mother. I was furious and upset with the world. The last thing I wanted to do was sit at a desk for hours on end, so I raised hell at school and got in a lot of trouble for it. The teachers hated me, and I argued with Ben for no reason. He pulled some strings to get me on the school’s robotics team despite my grades being awful because it was one of the only things I gave a shit about at the time.”

He smiled fondly, remembering something. “All of the snooty parents were so mad that I was the best on the team even though I had the worst grades. It was hilarious. Still, things got better as the years went on. At least personally. I still couldn’t be bothered with school.”

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. “I’m failing to see the lesson here.”

“You’re not like me, Snips. You actually like school and you’ve been handling all of this incredibly well. You’re gonna be fine. Answer the questions you want to answer, ignore the ones you don’t. If anyone decides to be an asshole about it,” he smiled mischievously, “you have my blessing to punch them square in the face.”

She laughed.

“I’m being serious!”, Anakin insisted, though his face betrayed laughter. “I would do it myself but I’m not a minor anymore and I would almost certainly go to jail. However, I am positive you have a strong right hook that would take care of the problem instantly.”

Ahsoka had never punched someone in the face. Or anywhere, really. She also wasn’t particularly prone to violence as a method for conflict resolution but it didn’t matter in that moment. What did matter was knowing that her new older brother was on her side, even if she decided to punch someone in the throat or something.

Later that night, she laid under her soft covers and remembered the feeling of laughing over tea and chicken nuggets. 

It was nice to know she now had people looking out for her.


	2. Ghosts and Gardens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!  
> Thank you to all who read/commented/bookmarked the first chapter and to all who subscribed to this story. This is my first fic in a really long time and it warms my heart to know it had a positive response!  
> This chapter took longer to do than the first (despite it being shorter) due to a variety of reasons including a storm that knocked the power off in my house for three days and accidentally cutting my finger whilst slicing an avocado, among others. I initially wanted to make it longer but ultimately decided it was more important to me to post before I started uni again. For those of y'all who clicked on this fic for the Satine tags, she finally shows up!  
> (Also, the formatting here was being crappy so I'm sorry if it looks funky!)  
> Happy reading!

Four months into her new life, Ahsoka made a startling discovery. 

She had been cooking with Ben one evening, him stirring something in a pot and she slicing potatoes, talking about inane things when a question had popped into her head. 

“Do you believe in ghosts, Ben?” 

Ahsoka did. Back when there were still children older than her at Takodana, they would often try to spook the younger ones with stories. Stories of a figure seen beyond the field behind the orphanage, a creepy house out in town with rotting floorboards and whispers among the surrounding trees. Try though as she might, she was unable to banish such things from her mind. Logic and practicality would rule her brain up until the moment when she found herself in an empty part of the home and a door would slam on a windless night. Even years after all the older children left the home one way or the other, Ahsoka found herself unable to look out into the field behind Takodana at night for fear that she might see the supposed figure. 

“Ghosts?” He seemed to actually consider the question, which she was grateful for. “I’m not quite sure. People have souls, I suppose it’s not so far fetched to think that sometimes a piece of that may linger after they’ve passed on.” 

He put down the spoon he’d been using to stir and leaned on the counter, arms crossed as he fixed Ahsoka with a curious look. “Do you?” 

“Yes.” She felt somewhat silly saying aloud, but Ben had been nothing if not eternally patient and understanding these past few months. “As much as I want to be logical, there’s a part of me that just can’t let it go.” 

“Believe it or not, I often go through a similar thought process. Though if you want to have a proper discussion about this, I suggest you talk to Anakin. He disagrees wholeheartedly.” 

“Wait, really?” 

“Oh yes, we had a discussion about this some weeks prior to your arrival.” 

“Ben?”, she asked. 

“Yes?” 

She put the knife down and wiped her hands on her pants. “I need to talk to Anakin right now.” 

Ahsoka pushed open the kitchen door and stepped out into the backyard. If there was someone who she thought would share in her belief of the supernatural, it was her new brother. She understood being unsure like Ben, but at least he seemed to keep an open mind. To not even entertain the possibility seemed preposterous to her. 

She rounded the corner of the house to find Anakin perched on a ladder, fixing some shingles that had fallen from the roof the previous week. 

“Hey!”, she yelled up at him. “Ben says you don’t believe in ghosts, what gives?” 

“Hello to you too, Snips”, came his deadpan answer. 

She crossed her arms as Anakin continued to hammer at the roof. Eventually, he sighed and turned to her. “Not that it matters, but neither does Ben.” 

“Wrong. He told me he did and that was before I said anything.” 

“Oh _come on” _. He lowered himself on the ladder and leaned towards the nearest window. “Seriously, Ben?!”__

___“Sorry!” _, came Ben’s reply from inside the house.__ _ _

____Ahsoka looked on smugly._ _ _ _

____Anakin sighed. “Listen, the world’s complicated enough as it is without having to add the supernatural into it. Spirits don’t stay behind. When they’re gone, they’re gone.”_ _ _ _

____“I disagree. The world is complicated and it’s insane to think that stays within the limits of what we understand.”_ _ _ _

____Just as Anakin opened his mouth to reply, Ben’s voice was heard from inside once more, this time calling them to eat._ _ _ _

____He pointed at Ahsoka. “This conversation isn’t over, Snips.” Then he hopped off the ladder with practiced ease._ _ _ _

____“For once, I wholeheartedly agree.”_ _ _ _

____Now that the semester had started, daily drives with Ban had become one of the most constant things in her life._ _ _ _

____She’d been given the option to take the bus to school if she wanted, but the idea of riding in a bus full of strangers twice a day, five days a week wasn’t appealing to her. It sounded overwhelming and she still didn’t know street names very well. She’d countered that Ben would be going to the same place at essentially the same hours and that it made more sense for them to go together._ _ _ _

____Ahsoka would rest her head on the window and the radio would play soft classical music most days. She would sip coffee from her thermos and Ben would carry tea in his to drink when he got to his classroom. Afternoons were similar, save the beverages. Ben would often talk about his students, often frustrated with a select few, or about the newest complaint he had about the school administration._ _ _ _

____She found it amusing that the otherwise calm and wholly professional man would rant so passionately. _(“Really Ahsoka, you’d think a fifteen year old could read a five page short story!”) _____ _ _

_____One afternoon, Ben had been forced to take an alternate route through a residential area in another part of town due to street repairs. Time seemed to slow as Ahsoka saw the sign, which read in simple letters _‘Degobah Street’ _. A moment later, she saw the house.___ _ _ _ _

_______The first thing she noticed about it, was how little of it remained. Time and the elements had not been kind to the structure, which sported a paint job now cracked and faded. The roof had partially caved in. Old trees were the only things that seemed to stand strong on the property, their twisting branches starting to overtake the house._ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And if you listen closely, you can hear giggling.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Giggling? That’s so creepy!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And a small shadow that runs around. I swear I saw it! It’s that creepy house on Degobah street!” ____ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Ahsoka felt the beginnings of an idea forming in her head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________As soon as Ben pulled up in front of the house, she jumped out of the car, backpack in hand. Anakin sat at a table in the garage-turned-workshop, frowning at a circuit board that he held under a large magnifying glass._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________“I figured out what we can do.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________The young man didn’t look up, only bringing the glass closer to his eyes. “About what?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________“About the ghost debate.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________“It’s not a debate if I’m right.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________“And it’s _definitely _not going to be one when I prove you wrong.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________He put the circuit board down, pushing the magnifying glass to the side, and looked up at Ahsoka wearily. “What’s your plan?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________“The house on Degobah street.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________“Nope, no way.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________“We get a camera with some kind of night filter and a microphone and we go look,” she insisted. “If we find nothing, you win. If we do, then I’ll be right and we’ll have proof!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Anakin was shaking his head. “It’s dangerous.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Ahsoka crossed her arms, staring him down. “Are you scared?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________“No, but I’d rather not be in jail for trespassing when my girlfriend comes home for thanksgiving. Or dead at Ben’s hand for letting you do this.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________He seemed serious, but she knew there was at least a small part of him that delighted in doing reckless things. It was time to take it up a notch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________She turned, as if to leave, and shrugged. “Fine. I’ll have to do it by myself and bring you the proof, then.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________“Ahsoka, wait.” He sighed. “I’ll do it, if only to keep you from stepping on a floorboard and falling through. That place is an absolute death trap.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________She smiled. “I’ll fill you in on the details later.”  
Anakin didn’t steal Ben’s roomba. He only appropriated it for the noble purpose of improving it. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________It’d started simple, he’d been annoyed at the way the machine kept bumping into walls and furniture. Ben was away for the better part of the day and Anakin would be left alone in the house, listening to the infernal machine bump its way around the ground floor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________And again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________And _again _.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________He was pretty sure they weren’t supposed to do that, and so the idea that the machine had a factory fault began take root in his mind. Ben thought the younger man was being melodramatic, and that he should leave the machine in peace to do its work._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________He tried to, really. Ben was right, it wasn’t a big deal._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________Except that Anakin was sure he could improve it. He would get it to stop bumping into things, at the very least. He woke one morning to find that Ben had left it running again and as he heard it bump against the coffee table, Anakin could swear he felt his eye twitch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________It was almost midday, which meant he still had a few hours before Ben got home from work._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________He’d taken the whole thing apart that day, much to Ben’s annoyance, and began to brainstorm on how to make the thing more efficient._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________Over the months, he’d rewired the whole thing, given it a paint job and refined the sensors so it would stop bumping into things. Then he felt he could do one better and decided to add a few more components in order to connect the roomba (which he’d begun to call ‘R2’) to the house’s security system. It would alert his and Ben’s phones directly if any alarms were triggered, rather than just the security company._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________Anakin was very proud of his handiwork._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________He was also aware of the fact that he had way too much time on his hands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________After high school, he’d decided to forgo college. Academic settings didn’t agree with him much, he knew that much from the many experiences Padme would relate to him. Ben hadn’t pushed the subject much, but he’d been of the opinion that if Anakin wasn’t going to college he needed to do something._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________So he’d gotten a job at a fast food joint and been fired soon after due to a minor incident involving a grease fire that Anakin would forever insist had not been his fault. He started fixing machines out of the garage soon after. Anything from computers to toasters, he could easily do. Odd jobs started to come in, mowing lawns, installing windows and sinks. Word had gotten around the neighborhood and people would seek him out for his repairing skills. It wasn’t glamorous by any means, but it was varied enough to keep him entertained._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________Months turned into two years. He would talk to Padme daily but still longed for the holidays and summer breaks when she would come visit. They would drive out to the scenic spot on the edge of town and look at the view from up high. She would rest her head on his shoulder, sometimes as she sipped a smoothie, and everything would feel right in the world._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________Today, he was at the electronics store looking for some parts when something caught his eye. The last time he’d walked by this aisle, it was to get a small camera to incorporate into R2’s design. Today, as he passed camcorders and computer microphones, he thought of Ahsoka and her ridiculous plan._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________Because it _was _ridiculous, no doubt about it. But he thought of her cocky smile and her surprisingly contagious excitement as she related their plan of action to him the other night. He’d decided to humor her because, why not?___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________Anakin put the camera and microphone into his basket._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________Later that day, he was once again at his workbench (an old table that used to live in the shed) when Ben and Ahsoka got home. The teenager seemed to almost drag her feet as she moved from the car and crossed through the garage on her way to the door connecting to the house._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________Maybe she’d been up late again (he could swear he’d heard footsteps up in her room past midnight), or school had just been duller than usual, she’d already complained of her classmates’ apprentice lack of interest in the different subjects._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“Hey, Snips?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________She was already at the doorway. “Yeah?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________He nodded at the bag lying just beside the steps that lead into the house. “Got you a little something.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________Ahsoka’s eyes trailed downward until they fell on the bag. She looked back at him in confusion, as if to confirm that she was allowed to take the things. He gave a quick nod._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________She looked inside the bag and her face broke out into a smile almost instantly. “For the ghost hunt?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“Yup.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________She turned the box around in her hands. “But this is so nice!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“If you’re gonna prove me wrong, we have to make sure you have the best equipment for it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________Ahsoka grinned. “With these, I’ll have you eating your words in no time, Skyguy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“Can’t wait you see you try, kid.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________The teen rolled her eyes, still smiling, and headed inside.  
The full moon was rising over Degobah street. Anakin and Ahsoka stood on the curb, facing the house. Though the area was surprisingly void of cars or pedestrians, they had left his car on the next street. Better not to have a resident wonder why it was parked in front of the abandoned home and put two and two together. Ben was under the impression that the two had gone out for dinner. A call from a disgruntled police officer would certainly ruin that, as well as land them in a fair amount of trouble with their guardian. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________The house loomed large, two whole stories of rotting wood and peeling paint. The shutters on the windows had either fallen off, or were in the process of it. The trees that covered most of the available space on the property were gnarled and twisted, their branches reaching into the open windows. Despite there having been no rain for over a week, the ground was inexplicably muddy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“Somehow, it looks worse than it did last time I saw it,” muttered Anakin under his breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“What’s the matter, Skyguy? You afraid?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“Of stepping on a floorboard and falling straight into hell? Yeah. Ghosts? Not really.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“Of course, of course. Silly me. It’s just I could’ve sworn I heard you shaking beside me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“That was the wind blowing through the trees.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“There’s no wind tonight.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“Why don’t we go inside?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________Ahsoka turned on her new camera, which she had fastened to her chest in order to go hands free. A microphone had been attached to the camera and her makeshift harness thanks to some tinkering on Anakin’s part. He carried only a backpack (with additional batteries, snacks and water) and a flashlight. Together they walked up the steps and pushed the front door open, stepping inside._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________The floor of the house was littered with trash and debris. Leaves had blown in through open windows and gathered in piles at random points of the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“You recording?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“Yeah, why?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“Hey ghost!” shouted Anakin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“What the hell are you doing?!” she hissed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“I don’t really believe in you,” he continued. “But Ahsoka here does! So if you could just wave into her camera or whisper a little something into her microphone that would be great!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“What the hell is wrong with you?!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________He shrugged. “I find that making a strong first impression is usually a good move.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________She shook her head. “My name is Ahsoka Tano,” she called out into the darkened room. “I’m hoping to contact any spirits that still reside here. If you want to make contact, please try saying something or manipulating the energy on the flashlight he,” she gestured towards Anakin “is holding over there.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“You can also rustle some curtains…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“Anakin, no.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“Toss me around, claw my heart out…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________Ahsoka sighed. “Let’s look in the next room and then we can try upstairs.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________Save for the beam of Anakin’s flashlight, it was completely dark. Leaves crunched under their feet as they walked, careful to step lightly. She had no intention of, as he’d put it so elegantly, stepping on a floorboard and falling straight into hell. Moonlight filtered through broken windowpanes and illuminated spots at random. Ahsoka stopped to inspect a small closet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“What the…? There’s something on the ground there.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________She turned around to where Anakin was approaching the entrance to the kitchen. He readjusted the beam to a spot on the floor. “Oh, never mind. It’s just a dead bird.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“That’s disgusting.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________He shrugged. “Hey, you’re the one who wanted to poke around abandoned places.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“ _Haunted _places.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“You’d be surprised at the overlap.” As the words left Anakin’s mouth, the flashlight in his hands flickered and then went out completely. There was a beat of silence as they both looked at the flashlight. Anakin broke the silence. “Batteries ran out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________Ahsoka felt a tightness in her throat. “I put in new ones before we left.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“Maybe they were faulty, then. Did you bring spares?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________She nodded. “Front pouch of the bag.” As Anakin replaced the batteries, Ahsoka began looking around. For the first time, it was dawning on her that this may have been one of her worse ideas. What if the place actually was haunted? Even if it wasn’t, it was still abandoned and possibly dangerous._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“…and done. See, Snips? It’s working fine. Snips? Are you alright?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________If she called it quits now, would he lord it over her?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“Hey, if you wanna go home, we can go home. Just say the word.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________She shook her head. “I’m fine. Let’s go upstairs.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________The second floor was missing part of the roof and the moonlight almost eliminated the need for the flashlight. Ahsoka figured it was time for another go._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“Is the previous owner of this house still with us tonight?” She paused. Only silence. “Is it a different spirit that still lives here?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________Silence. Nothing but the insects buzzing out in the yard. Then…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“Uh, Snips? The flashlight died again.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“Please say you’re joking to try and freak me out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“I’m not. We gotta tell Ben never to buy this brand of batteries again.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“ _Seriously?! _Is none of this getting to you?”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________“What, faulty batteries? Face it, the scariest thing we’ve experienced here is a dead bird—“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________“And a ghost messing with our flashlight.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________“Maybe we need consider the possibility that we won’t find anything here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________Ahsoka frowned. “Maybe.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________“Good because the ghosts in this place are _wimps _.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________‘CLANG— The distinct sound of metal on metal was heard in the far end of the house. The window to Ahsoka’s left shut with a sudden force that made her yelp._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________“ _What the hell was that? _” she hissed.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“Sudden breeze?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“And if it wasn’t?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________He shrugged.“Then we run.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________Anakin and Ahsoka stood back to back and slowly spun around in a circle, scanning the room. The air seemed to have turned colder, though whether this was due to paranormal activity or the late hour of night was unclear. Below them on the first floor, something could be heard rustling through the dry leaves._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“Snips?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“Yeah?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“Let’s get the hell out of here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________Though nothing was chasing them, the two ran down the stairs and out the door. Ahsoka felt herself slip upon stepping back onto the muddy ground, but Anakin’s hand was at her elbow to steady her. It was only when they were halfway down the street that they slowed down to a stop and began to laugh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________She wasn’t sure if it was nerves or the ridiculousness of the situation catching up with her, but she could only laugh, a problem given that she was out of breath from the run. Anakin was bent over with his hands resting on his knees, struggling similarly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“We can’t…” he coughed, still attempting to tide over his laughter. “We can’t go home yet. Ben will know something’s up.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“What do we do, then?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“Well…how do you feel about milkshakes?”  
Two days later Ahsoka was once again dyeing her hair. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________She had turned down Ben’s offer of taking her to a salon and getting it professionally done, afraid that they wouldn’t know how how to deal with her naturally very curly hair. An image of some well meaning but ultimately clueless stylist drying out her hair wouldn’t leave her alone. No use in making Ben waste money on that when she had proved herself capable of pulling off a decent job. She’d gotten a better brand of dye this time, and even dared to let her hair out of the braids. Over the past few months, she’d practiced until she was sure to have the technique down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________It was a Sunday morning and Ahsoka stood in her bathroom, a towel around her shoulders to protect her clothes from the water that dripped from her hair. As she began to apply the mixture to her hair, she heard the front door open and close. Ben, returning from the farmer’s market. Soft chatter reached her ears. Anakin, who was downstairs having breakfast despite it being closer to noon than the morning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________Ahsoka became lost in the careful mechanics of applying the dye to her hair. She wasn’t trying to make a statement this time, and wanted to actually make it look good. The sounds of the house slowly died away until it was only her, the brush and the mirror._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“Hey, Snips.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________Ahsoka jumped, nearly knocking over the bowl of dye from its precarious position on the edge of the sink. Anakin stood in the doorway, frowning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“We need to talk.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________She lifted a section of hair and covered it thoroughly with dye. “What about?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“Ben. He’s been acting really weird ever since he got home.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“Weird how?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________“All…” he gestured with his hands, as if trying to find the words “ _pleasant _. Smiley. It’s strange.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________Ahsoka cocked an eyebrow, looking at Anakin through the mirror. “You think it’s strange that Ben is _happy _? Honestly, are you listening to yourself?”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________“It’s not that I don’t _want _him to be happy, it’s that he never _is _. Then all of a sudden he’s all smiles the last few weeks he’s been to the farmer’s market?”_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________“Maybe he just really likes fresh produce?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________Anakin shook his head. “He’s been going there for years. It’s not that. Something’s changed and we need to find out what.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________Ahsoka pushed the section to the side with the already painted ones. “And how do you propose we do that?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________“You’re gonna ask to go with him next week and keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Simple enough.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________“But what if he suspects something?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________“He won’t. And if you’re really not sure then appeal to something you have in common.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________“Like tea.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________“Exactly. It doesn’t even have to be a lie, just do whatever you want to do but keep an eye out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________“Fine.” She nodded. “I’m in.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________“Great. I’m going to my room then. Your hair dye smells terrible, Snips.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You _wish _your hair looked as good as mine.” She looked at her reflection again and smiled.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________She had a mission now.  
The following Sunday, Ahsoka was dressed and ready to go by eight in the morning. As expected, Ben had been surprised by her request but had readily agreed. Ahsoka had expressed her desire for fresh loose leaf tea and locally sourced honey, citing some article she’d read on health and environmental benefits. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________Ben hadn’t suspected a thing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________The so called farmer’s market was little more than a collection of stands set up on a closed off street. People chatted with vendors, sampled their wares and brought their own bags. Ahsoka had never seen anything like it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________She remained at Ben’s side as he bought things and proceeded to cross them off the list he’d jotted down on a small piece of paper before getting out of the car. So far, she had yet to see anything out of the ordinary in her guardian’s behavior. Maybe Anakin had been wrong and Ben truly _did _get a kick out of old person activities such as buying locally-sourced vegetables. Ahsoka wouldn’t be the one to call him out for it. Eventually, Ben pointed at a stand a bit further down the street.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________“That’s the tea place. You can go ahead and check it out while I finish up here, if you like. I’ll join you as soon as I pay here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________And because she hadn’t actually been lying about her interest in tea, Ahsoka nodded and took off. Of course, the opportunity to keep an eye on Ben from afar was also too good to pass up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________The tea stand was bigger than many of the surrounding ones that were barely more than a single table full of wares. The tea stand was made up of several tables and a few free-standing shelves that held everything from large jars full of loose-leaf tea, to smaller bundles and even antique tea sets. The shop owner was busy with a customer but Ahsoka, fearing an awkward interaction or even being accused of loitering and thrown out, found herself wishing Ben would show up already._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________She looked around, pretending that she knew what she was looking for. _‘Amaranth and honey’ _, read the tag on one bundle, _‘Peppermint and vanilla’ _, another was labeled. She had no idea what the hell an infusion was. One of the jars was simply _‘Chamomile’ _. That one she knew. The shop owner briefly glanced her way and Ahsoka hoped she wouldn’t have to make small talk._______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________To her relief, Ben walked in at that very moment. He gave a passing nod to the shop owner before arriving at Ahsoka’s side. “Find anything you like yet?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________“Not really. I don’t exactly know what I’m looking for.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________“Well it depends”, Ben glanced over his shoulder quickly before looking back at her. “What do you like most? Flowers, fruits, spices or herbs? Tea can be made from any one of those.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________“Let’s try flowers first.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________“Jasmine, lavender and chamomile are popular ones.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________“I think I saw some chamomile on one of the other tables.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________Ben nodded. “Alright then.” He trailed behind as she looked over the merchandise again, with a more careful eye this time. After a moment, she spotted the glass jar she’d seen earlier._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________“Hey, Ben?” Ahsoka turned to see that the man was once again looking at something outside of the shop. Before she could tell what, he looked back at her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________“Yes, sorry. What did you say?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________Ahsoka felt her mouth quirk up. Maybe there was something to this mission after all._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________“I just wanted to ask what your opinion on peppermint tea is.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________He smiled. “It’s like drinking a candy cane. I don’t drink it very often but I’m quite fond of it.”  
Pleased with this assessment, she decided to take that one as well. Ben called the shopkeeper over, who then proceeded to scoop the dry tea into paper bags. While they rang the purchase up, Ahsoka saw Ben look out into the street once more. She tried following his glance, feeling unsuccessful until her eyes landed on a stand across the street. A tall woman with blonde hair and sharp, regal features stood behind a table filled with potted flowers and smiled at a passerby. Ben quickly looked away. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________Bingo _.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________Ahsoka waited until they were heading back out into the street before exclaiming “Oh wow!”, and running off towards the flower stand. She ignored Ben’s voice calling her back. Subtlety had never been her strong suit and she saw no reason to start now. It wasn’t even Anakin’s request driving her anymore, just pure curiosity and a desire to know how far this would go, whatever ‘this’ actually was._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________Ahsoka gave her most polite smile to the flower seller. “Hello.” She quickly glanced around at the merchandise. “You have a lovely selection of flowers.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________The woman gave her a small but warm smile. “Thank you. We have a sale going on today, seeds and succulents are half off.” She looked to Ahsoka’s left. “Hello, Ben.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________He nodded, albeit a bit stiffly. “Satine.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________Ah, so they knew each other already. Even better for her. Ahsoka pointed at a small plant with blue flowers growing from it. “Look at that one! Isn’t it beautiful? I think it’s the same color as my hair.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________“I thought we were going home.” Ben’s tone was breezy, but his eyes darted between Ahsoka and the woman, whose name was apparently Satine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________“Yes, but I couldn’t help it, you _know _I love gardening.” She continued to examine the different plants.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________“Your daughter?” Satine’s tone was light, but she looked pointedly at Ben._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________Ben gaped for a moment before speaking up. “This is Ahsoka, she’s…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________He seemed at a loss for words, something that never happened with Ben. She actually felt bad for the man. It was clear he had hesitated on the word ‘daughter’, but it didn’t make her feel any less. If Ben liked the pretty flower seller, she could see how their particular situation would be too much to explain at this very moment. Might as well throw him a lifeline._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________“Ben adopted me in the summer”, she said matter-o-factly. “I’ve been living with him and his son ever since.” She smiled, hoping it would help somewhat. If the way Satine’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ was any indication, it had._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________“Well it’s nice to meet you, Ahsoka.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________“Likewise. So, how do you and Ben know each other?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________“We went to school together. We were… friends.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________“Good friends”, Ben chimed in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________Ahsoka nodded slowly, taking in the scene. Satine looking on with a diplomatic smile betrayed by the way her hands gripped the edge of the table and Ben resembling a fish out of water. This was way better than either her or Anakin could have ever predicted. She couldn’t wait to get home and tell him all about it. Still, she could stretch this out a bit longer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________“You said there was a sale going on?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________Satine nodded. “Seeds and succulents are half off on Sundays.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________“What’s a good plant for a beginner? I’ve never had a garden.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________“You could try lettuce. It grows fairly easily both hydroponically and traditionally planted.” She gestured to a wooden crate full of carefully arranged seed packets. “You’re welcome to look around.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________“Thanks”, said Ahsoka as she began to look through the crate. She was deliberately slow, hoping they would talk abut something._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________________A minute went by in silence. Would she really have to start a garden now? She _had _just declared her love of gardening to Ben, after all. Was it too late to back out? Would he forget about it on his own?___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________________________“So, how’s teaching these days?”, she heard Satine ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________________________“Fruitful as ever”, came Ben’s reply._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________________Yikes _. Ahsoka couldn’t tell if the conversation was actually awkward or if this was simply the manner in which adults always flirted.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________Maybe some further intervention from her would be needed later down the line.  
Anakin was finishing his breakfast when Ahsoka and Ben entered the house. As Ben began to put the things away, she met her brother’s eyes and jerked a finger upwards, indicating the direction of her room. They needed to talk, that much was clear. Anakin nodded and silently scurried upstairs. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________“Hey Ben? I’m gonna go get changed then I’ll be back down to help with lunch.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________The man merely hummed his assent, but it was good enough for Ahsoka. They could have a conversation on boundaries and how badly she’d crossed them later. She sprinted up the stairs and into her bedroom. She found Anakin sitting on her desk chair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________“So? Did you find out anything?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________Ahsoka plopped down on her bed. “You know, I really started thinking this was all in your head at one point.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________“But?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________“I’m ninety-nine percent sure he’s in love with the flower seller.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________“Man or woman?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________“Woman. Apparently, they went to school together. Her name’s Satine. In Ben’s own words, they were 'good friend's,” Ahsoka said, adding air quotes on the last part._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________“Pretty?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________“Blonde. Cheekbones that could cut glass.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________Anakin leanded back and crossed his arms, looking at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression. “Interesting.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________________________“We have to do something. I’ve never seen Ben look awkward before. I didn’t know he could even _do _awkward.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“It’s a rare sight, I’ll admit. We have to get them to go out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________Ahsoka nodded. “Agreed.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“And I think it has to be you to do it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“What?! Why? I already did my part here, Skyguy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“And your efforts are noted but he won’t be suspicious of you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“I think he might be a little suspicious after what I pulled today.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________Anakin cocked an eyebrow. “What did you do?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“Let’s just say subtlety isn’t my strong suit. But I don’t think he’s arrived at the conclusion of premeditation yet.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“Fine. He'll be a little suspicious, but he’ll still think this is just a you thing. You can just talk to him, suggest the idea. Nothing more.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________Ahsoka sighed, falling onto her back and crossing her arms over her chest. “Fine. I guess I can give it a try.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“Attagirl, Snips.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“You have to build me a hydroponic system for the backyard though.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“What? Why the hell do you need that?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“I have no idea what a hydroponic system is but I’m growing lettuce in the backyard.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“It’s November, Snips. Why the hell are you gonna grow lettuce?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“I may have told Ben I’d always wanted a garden in order to keep him talking to Satine. She said lettuce was good for beginners.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“You didn’t.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________“Told you I wasn’t good at subtlety. Now can you build the thing or not, because I don’t want Ben to think I’m a liar and if you can’t I need to find somewhere to buy a bag of dirt.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, I love my chaotic kiddos :')  
> They just want their dad to be happy, cause some mischief on the way, no biggie.
> 
> So as I mentioned at the top, I start classes again tomorrow. I don't know what that will mean for my writing schedule because online classes are wack and this is my last year. This fic has one, maybe two more chapters left in it and I do want to to finish it, so even if updates are slower from now on, I have no intention of abandoning it!

**Author's Note:**

> Since this thing has been consuming my brain for a while now, I've made stuff for it?? I designed Ahsoka's room (putting that set design class from last semester to good use hey-o) so click here to see that. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/11j-GIofmCDDNhb_Ss8W0RnAg_xU8DWdi/view?usp=sharing)
> 
> This story less follows a proper plot and is more a series of chronological vignettes, as you can see. Not sure about an upload schedule right now because this chapter took about two weeks to write (a bit more, thanks to my iPad erasing 2k words out of the document and me having to rewrite stuff) so as long as I'm on vacation I will try to stay within that time frame. That could change when uni starts back up but that's not until mid-August. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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